Red Flags We Can't Look Away From In Candace Cameron Bure's Marriage

Candace Cameron Bure has been very open about the ups and downs in her lengthy marriage to husband Valeri Bure. In 2016, she got candid on Facebook for their 20th wedding anniversary, making it clear their relationship hadn't always been hearts and flowers. "Let me assure you it hasn't been all roses the whole journey. There have been several tough years, in a row, ups and downs, bad attitudes and bad decisions, but we've persevered. We rode them out," she shared.

But despite the couple's unwavering dedication to staying together, we've noticed more than a few red flags in their marriage. One of the biggest? How much time they spend apart. As an in-demand actor, Candice is often away from home for long periods and, speaking to Us Weekly in 2018, she admitted not being together every day is the reason their marriage has lasted. "I travel a lot, that's the secret! Because, you know, being away from each other makes the heart grow fonder," she said. The former "Full House" and "Fuller House" star later admitted to Us Weekly they were together more amid the Covid-19 lockdown than they'd been in years. "It totally tested us but in the best of ways ... We both travel so much," she said. "...A lot of times we're like two ships passing in the night with our work schedule," she added. Though it's healthy for couples to spend a little time apart and not live in one another's pockets, it's imperative they still carve out quality time together to keep their marriage strong. But that's not the only potential issue in Candace Cameron-Bure's marriage that warrants some raised eyebrows.

Despite being married for over two decades, Candace Cameron Bure (who's had a few outfits that missed the mark over the years) still doesn't always remember to celebrate her wedding anniversary with Valeri Bure. "My husband is so sweet and he always remembers everything on our anniversary and I tend to forget. And I forgot this year," she admitted in a 2023 Instagram Stories video (via Us Weekly). Fortunately, Valeri was understanding about why his wife didn't get him a sentimental gift, but regularly failing to celebrate a big relationship milestone relationship may be a red flag. Though it may not be a total dealbreaker, it could make Valeri feel forgotten, especially when he seems to put so much importance on making things special for his wife. 

As Maria Sullivan, dating expert and vice president of Dating.com, explained (via PR Newswire), "Completely forgetting this important traditional milestone can leave your partner feeling unappreciated and undervalued. While it might not seem like a big deal today, recognizing an anniversary (even in a small way) should still be a priority."

Though Candace Cameron Bure and Valeri Bure have their Christian faith in common, a red flag reared its head when Candace told her husband she wanted to further explore her religion. "I was so enthusiastic to tell Val about God and Val was not on board ... So much so that at one point he was just like, 'You're actually taking making me take two steps back,'" she told "JWLKRS Worship." Candace shared she asked Valeri attend church with her, which had a polarizing reaction. "I was like, 'I'm going, come with me, but I'm going to go whether you come or not.' He was like, 'Unless I ask you about God don't talk to me about him, because you're in my face about it and you're totally turning me off and I know your intention is good but it's making me take two steps back.' And that was that was really hard to hear," she said.

Of course, everyone has the right to exercise their religion peacefully how they want, and two people don't have to agree on spiritual beliefs to be together. Regardless, it's important to respect your partner's religious beliefs — whether you believe in them or not. However, two things about Candace's story raised our eyebrows. First, Valeri's response to something so personal to Candace seemed harsh. Secondly, Candace seemingly pushing her religion onto her husband could be an issue, too. Life coach Nina Rubin told Elite Daily, "Don't push. You can keep going to your religious services, dinners, events, and groups and having a great time. Don't guilt your partner into joining you or rub it into their face."

Candace Cameron Bure shared she was only 18 when she met Valeri Bure — and marriage was the last thing on her radar. She admitted to Us Weekly she didn't consider Valeri to be 'the one' from the beginning, sharing, "I just thought he was really cute and I really liked him ... but I was 18 so I wasn't thinking of marriage and he was kind of really the first guy I ever dated, so it wasn't quite on my mind right at the start." The "Make It Or Break It" actor added, "We kept talking and it just went from like zero to 100."

Though there are plenty of couples who move fast, get married young, and make it work, tying the knot fresh out of your teenage years isn't always a great idea. Candace was just 20 and Valeri was 22 when they became husband and wife, and matchmaker and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking Susan Trombetti feels they weren't mature enough to walk down the aisle. "She married way too young. As a matchmaker, I say people should experience their 20s," Trombetti told Glam.

Trombetti isn't the only expert who wouldn't necessarily recommend young marriage either, as it takes time to figure out who you are and what you want in a partner. Licensed psychologist Dr. Wyatt Fisher told Brides, "On average, the younger a couple is when they get married, the more problems they have." Dr. Fisher also noted, "People grow so much in their 20s. If you get married early, the risk of changing drastically and waking up feeling like you have nothing in common [with your spouse] and wanting different things in life is high."

On-screen kisses are just part of the job when you're an actor and, although they can be uncomfortable, it's important to have the full support of a partner to make things run smoothly. Only, Candace Cameron Bure didn't initially have that from Valeri Bure. "It's something that Val and I wrestled with a lot in our marriage," Candace shared on "The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast" in 2024, sharing her husband told her he didn't like seeing her get close to other men on-screen. "We've had those struggles and a lot of conversation and prayer, and I had the same exact moment when I thought, 'I think this is it. I think I have to give this up after having done a couple of Hallmark movies,'" she said. That came after her husband told her, "I don't want to watch them anymore. They make me uncomfortable." Fortunately, Valeri changed his mind after realizing he didn't want his wife to give up her dreams because of his insecurities.

But there's still a possible red flag here. Candace told "Today" her husband's stance on her job means they can't watch her movies all the way through together, including her 2024 Holiday offering "Home Sweet Christmas." "We sat on the couch, just the two of us, and watched the whole movie," she said. "Right at the end ... I was like, 'Oh, OK, it's over!' and I switched the channel right before the kiss." Though Valeri's feelings are understandable, it's sad he can't put his personal feelings aside to celebrate Candace's success. She shouldn't feel she has to censor her achievements or hide part of her career to please him.

How well a partner communicates during the tough moments is one of the most important factors in a relationship. But it sounds like Valeri Bure isn't the best at sharing his immediate thoughts with his wife. "It's probably good when your spouse speaks a language that you don't know. 'Cause when they get really mad, he'll just speak in Russian and I don't know what he's saying — so I can't ever be offended," Candace told E! News.

The potential red flag here? Valeri speaking his native tongue (which the California native can't understand) could be a form of stonewalling. Everyone has their own coping mechanisms when things are difficult and it's fine for Valeri to speak to himself in Russian to get a better grasp of the situation. However, it's important Candace and Valeri learn how to handle fights when a lack of conflict resolution skills are present together, by communicating effectively in a language they both understand and not shutting each other out.